The College Football Playoff began Friday night and Notre Dame controlled the game at home with a 27-17 victory over Indiana. Now three more opening round games are the most watched and bet on Saturday’s contests as teams battle it out for a place in the quarterfinals from December 31 to January 31. 1.

College Footabll Playoff Odds and TV Schedule

College football Opportunities from FanDuel Sportsbook are updated regularly and are subject to change, including props and live betting. Bet types, odds and terms with listed point ranges in favorites. Always east.

Saturday December 21st

• No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State (-8.5), 53.5 total | 12pm | TNT/Max
• No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas (-13.5), 50.5| 4 p.m. | TNT/Max
• No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State (-7.5), 46.5 | 8 p.m. | ABC/ESPN

SMU at Penn State

Both teams lost their conference championship games and there is a lot of talk about Penn State not winning its biggest games against top teams. That ends today with an expected double-digit win for the Nittany Lions with colder temperatures in the low 70s, snow (80%) and winds up to 20 mph that will keep the SMU ponies from prancing. Penn State is the better team in the stats (+2.2 vs. +1.7 yards per game) and played the tougher schedule (No. 36 vs. No. 64). SMU’s offensive line will struggle along with QB Jennings, who will be forced into mistakes by pressure and Penn State’s tougher defense, which held five opponents to their lowest yards of the season and just 16.4 points and 282 yards per game allowed. That’s despite him scoring in a 45-37 loss to No. 1 Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game while also amassing more than 500 yards, including 292 rushing, for the Ducks. Penn State’s stronger pedigree and players ensure the Ponies pack a punch.

Choose: Penn State

Clemson, Texas

Fans in South Carolina and Texas will not be able to bet on the game at US sportsbooks. But BetOnline.ag is closely watching and betting on the Tigers and Longhorns’ CFP game, and Texas has seen more money come in over the last 24 hours, bringing the limit to -13.5. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is 12-2 ATS as underdogs with 5 or more points, including 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS in bowls. Clemson QB Cade Klubnik and Texas QB Quinn Ewers were high school rivals, and Klubnik returns home where he played in Austin at Westlake High School. The Longhorns are stronger in the trenches and have a differential advantage of +1.6 net yards per game over the Tigers. Texas hasn’t been able to close the deal or score in the red zone more often in some key plays, but don’t be surprised if QB Arch Manning sees some extra packages. If the Longhors pull it off, you’ll all see a Texas-sized victory.

Opinion:Texas

Tennessee at Ohio State

Leading online sportsbooks expect this to be the most watched and wagered game of the inaugural College Football Playoff contests, with the winner moving on to play Oregon in the CFP quarterfinals on Jan. 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Pro scouts will certainly be watching, as Ohio State has nine players ranked among the top 100 prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft, according to the NFL Mock Draft Data Base’s 2025 Consensus Big Board.

Both Ohio State and Tennessee dominate defensively, and it makes sense that we’ll score fewer points than expected since the Buckeyes defense is No. 1 in scoring (10.9 PPG) and the Volunteers are scoring fewer than 15 points per game Allow play (14.9). Ohio State is also among the top three in the country in offense and defense expected points added per game. Tons of Tennessee fans travel to Columbus, and the Vols have yet to play a game north of their home state this season. But with a stronger defense and a balanced offense that averages 226 rushing and 214 passing yards per game, the Volunteers are worth a bet against the Buckeyes and their elite defense.

Selection: Tennessee + and under 46.5

Ohio recently became the first state to offer free online therapy for sports betting problems. Those fans betting on the Buckeyes getting a win over the Volunteers will be in line for more game therapy if Ohio State loses. Head coach Ryan Day is 66-10 and has appeared in four College Football Playoff games in six seasons. However, according to disgruntled fans after the big-game loss to Michigan and the loss to Tennessee, he may be able to find a job at another university.

You can bet on it.

College football playoff quarterfinal games

Tuesday, December 31st

#9 Boise State vs. Penn State/SMU Winner – Fiesta Bowl | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

Wednesday, January 1st

No. 12 winner Arizona State vs. Texas/Clemson – Peach Bowl | 1 p.m. | ESPN

No. 1 winner Oregon vs. Ohio State/Tennessee – Rose Bowl | 5 p.m. | ESPN

No. 2 Georgia (-1) vs. Notre Dame, 44.5 – Sugar Bowl | 8:45 p.m. | ESPN

MORE FROM FORBES

ForbesNFL picks, props and odds for Week 16: Texans-Chiefs and Steelers-RavensFrom Jay GinsbachForbesThe College Football Playoff will hurt the players the mostFrom John TamnyForbesCollege Football Playoffs: What You Need to KnowFrom Erik Buchinger